DUBAI // It goes without saying Rory McIlroy is more than just a show pony. But, seeing as the European Tour tweaked their own rules, and thus put their integrity on the line, by allowing him to carry on competing here, they might have wanted a trick or two in return.
The Northern Irishman, who is playing thanks to a special exemption despite not having fulfilled the criteria of participating in 13 tournaments this season, was keen to oblige on Day 1 of the DP World Tour Championship.
He saved his party piece till the very last. The world No 3 continued what had been a middling round by finding the greenside bunker at the par-5 18th.
He settled his feet in the sand, addressed the ball, flipped it onto the front edge, and saw it roll out into the middle of the cup for birdie. Cue a rapturous ovation. It was never in doubt.
“All I needed to do was splash it out and land it on the top of the hill and have it trundle on down to the hole,” McIlroy said.
“It was just a bonus I got it exactly on the right line, but I knew I could get it quite close without having to do much.”
The practice bunker at Jumeirah Golf Estates is in an area well hidden from the view of the spectators. As such, when he was working on that facet of his game in his morning warm up, he did so in blissful – and rare – anonymity.
The way he was striking the ball from sand at that point of the day had hinted at the fact his bunker play was in good order. By the end, it seemed as though he was trying to amuse himself, attempting to slam-dunk chips into the holes on the full. He went close, too.
Perfect practice makes perfect, and the Race to Dubai leader duly reaped the benefits with the last stroke of his day, much to the delight of the thousands watching around the green.
McIlroy started the day with a slim, 1,613-point advantage over Danny Willett, his playing partner in the final group, at the head of the standings.
Willett suggested on the eve of the tournament it might be folly to treat the week as match play between the two of them, but they remain neck-and-neck after their opening round.
Each posted four-under par, meaning they are within striking distance of the leaders, two strokes ahead of them.
“You don’t want to play match play if you’re level-par or one-overpar, but it ended up being a pretty good match,” Willett said. “It helped us shooting a good number.”
Despite signing for the same total of 68, the two race leaders will be split in the second round, with McIlroy going out at 11.40am with Emiliano Grillo and Willett partnering Branden Grace in the next match.
It means the prospect of them being overly concerned by what the other is doing is less likely, and McIlroy counselled against thinking that way at all.
“The first time I came in here was going against Lee Westwood in 2009,” McIlroy said, recalling the first Race to Dubai, when he was leapfrogged in the final tournament by Westwood.
“I treated it a bit like match play, which wasn’t a good idea, and he played fantastically and won the tournament.
“I think this is the fourth time that I was in the last group going off on the opening day in this tournament. I’ve got a little bit more experience and hopefully that will give me an advantage.”
pradley@thenational.ae
Follow us on Twitter at @NatSportUAE
